The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has denounced a recent demonstration in London against Prof. Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). NEYGA described the protesters as a "small rented crowd" and alleged that they were sponsored by disgruntled politicians and contractors seeking to disrupt the upcoming general elections.

According to NEYGA, the London protest was a staged event with participants largely hired from Zimbabwe and South Africa to create the illusion of widespread diaspora outrage. The group claimed that credible intelligence sources revealed the demonstration was well-funded and orchestrated by individuals fearing an impending court judgment would ruin their political fortunes.

NEYGA also pointed out the irony that the same protesters who took part in the London demonstration remained silent during recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where Nigerians and other Africans were killed and their properties destroyed. The group accused them of allowing themselves to be used against Nigeria's democratic process.

The group further stated that the grievances cited by the protesters, including complaints about suspected AI-generated photographs in the preliminary voters' register, were already being addressed by INEC. The commission has demonstrated transparency by providing daily updates on its preparations and has deleted over 1.6 million invalid voter registrations in its ongoing register cleanup.

NEYGA warned that it has uncovered the identities of contractors financing the foreign protests and is compiling their names for a formal petition to relevant security and anti-corruption authorities. The group promised to expose and publicly shame them in due course, emphasizing that their activities are being closely monitored.

The group urged Nigerians to rally behind Prof. Amupitan, stressing that he has done nothing wrong to warrant questions about his capacity. NEYGA noted that the ongoing early distribution of non-sensitive electoral materials from the national headquarters to the states is unprecedented and called on the INEC Chairman not to be deterred by paid blackmailers.

NEYGA emphasized that Prof. Amupitan must remain focused on his mandate to deliver free, fair, and credible elections to the Nigerian people. The group declared that colluding with desperate politicians to sabotage Nigeria's democratic processes is not merely a crime but a grave felony.

Key points

  • NEYGA alleges the London protest was sponsored by aggrieved politicians and contractors seeking to sabotage the 2027 polls.
  • The group claims that over 1.6 million invalid voter registrations have been deleted in INEC's ongoing register cleanup.
  • NEYGA has uncovered the identities of contractors financing the foreign protests and will petition relevant authorities.

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SaharaWire Newsroom
SaharaWire

Reporting for SaharaWire from the Nairobi bureau.